Jotunheim Saga
by Emmlei
Summary: Keiichi Morisato has often had to depend on the goddesses for help. Now, he has to solve a problem in another dimesnion on his own.
1. Jotunheim: Ch 1

(This is an "Oh, My Goddess!" fan-fiction. The "OMG" characters are the property   
  
of Kosuke Fujishima and other respective owners. Used without permission, but   
  
with great respect.)  
  
Jotunheim  
  
Part One: The Call  
  
By Michelle Johnson  
  
The floor trembled for a few seconds as the small explosion shook the temple.   
  
Keiichi raised his head from the motorcycle text long enough to hear the insults   
  
being exchanged between Urd and Skuld, punctuated by sharp zaps and booms. With   
  
a sigh, he returned his attention back to his book. It was beginning to be a   
  
standard afternoon at the Morisato residence.  
  
"I know sisters fight," he thought, "but most sisters keep their weapons down to   
  
a level where a military clean-up squad isn't needed."  
  
His attention was again distracted by the sound of the phone ringing in the   
  
hall.  
  
"Urd, Skuld," he yelled. "Could one of you get the phone?" He was answered   
  
immediately by a low rumble and a cloud of smoke seeping into the living room.   
  
"Apparently, not," he thought as he got to feet and left the living room.  
  
"Hello, Morisato residence," answered Keiichi into the handset.  
  
"Mr. Keiichi Morisato?" came a pleasant female voice. "I'm glad you're at home   
  
right now. I'm calling from the Yggsdrasil Dimensional Control . I'll need to talk   
  
to you in a moment, but could you put Urd on the line?"  
  
Slightly stunned, Keiichi yelled to the back for Urd. A few seconds later, a   
  
very tired and crispy Urd took the phone from him. Keiichi walked down the hall   
  
a few paces, partly to get out of earshot and partly to think. After all this   
  
time, he still wasn't completely used to the idea of getting calls from Heaven,   
  
but he wasn't exactly surprised by it either.   
  
There was probably some sort of problem with Yggrsdail again, something that the   
  
goddesses were needed to know about. What could it be this time? Did it require   
  
Urd, Skuld, or, maybe even Belldandy, to be recalled back to Heaven? The thought   
  
of Belldandy having to leave chilled him.  
  
"Dammit," he thought as his fists tightened. "If only I could - Just once, be   
  
sure I was of some help."  
  
Urd's raised voice broke into his thoughts.  
  
"You're doing what?... I know what the rules are, but I don't think . . . Yes,   
  
I can do it. But this kind of program is tricky, but on . . . Yes, I understand. I'll   
  
get started right away. But, why involve mortals . . . I still don't like it. Hey,   
  
Morisato."  
  
Keiichi came back up the hall. He held the receiver as Urd stormed down to her   
  
room, a conflicted look on her and flipping through a notepad in her hand.  
  
"Hello?" he said into the mouthpiece.   
  
"Mr. Morisato," said the voice from before. "We at Yggrsdail must request a   
  
service of you. You see, we have recently discovered there has been a system   
  
crack and a virus had slipped in, causing some minor problems."  
  
He knew it. He said aloud, "So what can I do for you?"  
  
"We've managed to halt and eliminate the virus program, but the connection still   
  
remains. While we can seal the security breach, it will only be a matter of time   
  
until the culprit can find another weakness through the firewall. Because of   
  
certain treaties, we need to send outside help to the source in order to correct   
  
the problem."   
  
"This outside help would be me, right?" He didn't like where this was going.  
  
"Yes. And don't worry; we'll give you everything you'll need. It's a pretty   
  
straight forward mission, nothing that would be dangerous or anything."  
  
"And where exactly would this hack be coming from?"  
  
"The Jotunheim dimension." He was really not liking the sound of this. "Urd will   
  
fill you and the rest of the team in once she has finished the preparations   
  
you'll need."  
  
"Huh? Team? What team?"  
  
"We would never think of sending you alone, even for a simple mission. Expect   
  
your teammates to arrive in a couple hours. Have a nice day."   
  
"Hey! Wait! I've got some ques-" There was a click on the other end, cutting him   
  
off. Stunned, Keiichi put down the receiver.  
  
"This can't be good," he thought.  
  
********  
  
" . . . And that's all she told me," finished Keiichi as Belldandy listened over   
  
her tea. "Any ideas?"  
  
She frowned in concentration before answering. "No. Is that really all she   
  
said?" A nod. "Then I can't really say much. She did state the truth about   
  
Jotunheim; we gods are forbidden from entering that dimension."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"It's one of the pacts between the gods and demons to prevent either one from   
  
getting an unfair foothold of influence, among other reasons. It can get   
  
complicated. Certain dimensions are declared neutral from influence, and   
  
Jotunheim is one of them."  
  
"Not to mention," cut in Skuld, causing Keiichi to jump, "it's home to the frost   
  
giants."  
  
"Frost giants?!" thought Keiichi. The image of a large, malevolent being made of   
  
ice loomed into his mind. He was going into that?  
  
"Yep, frost giants," continued Skuld, coyly sipping on a drink. "They are   
  
infamous for being fierce fighters, even demons are afraid of them. They're   
  
supposed to be four, five, even six-times the size of a human, able to breathe   
  
ice like dragons do fire. I'm glad I'm not the one going."  
  
"Skuld!" whispered Belldandy before giving Keiichi a concerned look. "Keiichi,   
  
are you all right?"  
  
Snapped out his state of dread by her worried voice, he gave her a weak smile.   
  
"Y-yeah, I'm ok, Bell."  
  
Belldandy gave him a warm reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Keiichi. I know that   
  
you'll be fine and that you'll do well. I just know it."  
  
The way she smiled at him, the certainty it held was so strong, buoyed Keiichi's   
  
flagging confidence. Returning her smile, Keiichi thought, "What the heck. If   
  
Bell thinks I can do it, who's to say I can't?" He said aloud, "Thanks, Bell,"   
  
and unconsciously covered on her hands with his.  
  
Skuld meanwhile watched the silent exchange of smiles with irritated disgust.   
  
She was reaching for something to put Keiichi in his place - and his hands off   
  
her sister - when a loud humming, followed by a pair of thuds outside, ended the   
  
quiet mood. All three rushed out of the dining room and headed to the back   
  
porch. Keiichi pulled the door back to the sight of a pair of people seated on   
  
the ground, both with stunned expressions on their faces. One of them, a dark   
  
girl with a head full of braids, turned with startled eyes towards the temple,   
  
eventually focusing on Keiichi and the two goddesses.  
  
"I - um - I guess we made it," she said weakly. Just as weakly, she raised a   
  
hand in salutation. Then she and the young man promptly passed out. 


	2. Jotunheim: Ch 2

(This is an "Oh, My Goddess!" fan-fiction. The "OMG" characters are the   
  
property of Kosuke Fujishima and other respective owners. Used without   
  
permission, but with great respect.)  
  
Jotunheim  
  
Part Two: Exposition  
  
By Michelle Johnson  
  
"Here's the tea," chimed Belldandy as she entered the dining room with   
  
a tray of tea and cups in her hands.  
  
"Thanks, Bell," said Keiichi as she set the tray down and began to   
  
pour. Once she'd finished pouring four of the cups, she first gave one   
  
to Keiichi before she gave an expectant, questioning look to the two   
  
visitors.  
  
"Yes, please," said the young man with short, light brown hair. Bell   
  
gave him the tea with a pleased smile, which he weakly returned. She   
  
turned her gaze to the girl next to him, concern growing on her face.   
  
The dark girl was leaning on the table, a hand massaging her forehead   
  
as she let out a soft, tension-filled sigh.  
  
"Are you okay, Miss...?" Belldandy paused, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Jarrett," filled in the young woman as she looked up and gave a   
  
strained smile. "Aisha Jarrett. And, yeah, I'm okay. Just,   
  
feeling kinda sick from the transport, I guess."  
  
Keiichi could easily see that. Both visitors had the look of being put   
  
through the wringer, just Aisha showed it more.  
  
Bell stood up from the table. "I believe I have something that may   
  
help. I'll be right back."  
  
"Ah! Wait!" Aisha began, but Bell was already out of the door. Aisha   
  
sat back with a low huff. "I don't want to be a bother," she mumbled.  
  
"Don't worry about it," said Keiichi. "That's just how Belldandy is."  
  
"But I don't want to impose or anything," she protested.  
  
"Like I said, don't worry. Believe me, we've had more surprising drop-  
  
ins than yours. And dealing with a headache is the least of problems."  
  
At an apparent loss, Aisha merely looked down, her braids falling   
  
forward to hide her face, and whispered a thank you.  
  
"Well, I for one thank you for being a gracious host," said the young   
  
man. He thrust his hand out halfway over the table. "I'm Wil Thebault,"   
  
he said with a smile.  
  
Taking the offered hand, he smiled: "Keiichi Morisato."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
At that moment, Belldandy returned to the room with a cup of a   
  
different tea. She knelt next to Aisha, offering the beverage to her.   
  
"I believe this should help."  
  
Aisha too the cup with a half-smile, blew on it gently before taking a   
  
cautious sip. Keiichi's tension eased a little as his guest gave a   
  
pleased hum and downed the remainder of the drink.  
  
"That was good," she said, pleasantly surprised. And you know, I think   
  
the pains going away. Incredible! Like magic!"  
  
Bell gave an appreciative smile. "You're welcome. I hope now you'll be   
  
able to tell us a bit about yourselves."  
  
Aisha and Wil exchanged embarrassed glances, both visually nudging the   
  
other to go first. With an embarrassed laugh and scratching her head,   
  
Aisha began: "There's really not that much to say. Um, I'm a sophomore   
  
in ecology back in Atlanta."  
  
"Oh, that sounds interesting!" beamed Belldandy. "I'm sure you must do   
  
some rather unique studies, learning about how your beautiful world   
  
works."  
  
"I've never really heard anyone put it that way, but - yeah." She   
  
continued, encouraged. "I'd have to say witnessing the wonders of   
  
nature, the simple little treasures of say a plant, and insect, a fish.   
  
Nothing can compare."  
  
There was a wistful tone to her voice as she concluded, her calm   
  
expression mirroring one Keiichi had seen Belldandy wear when she too   
  
thought of how precious something was, no matter how insignificant the   
  
object seemed. There was a calm silence, broken by some birds chirping   
  
outside the windows. Both Aisha and Bell turned to face the source,   
  
listening in appreciated silence to the handful of notes.  
  
"That's about it for me," Aisha finally said in a cheerful tone. She   
  
faced Keiichi with a grin. "What can you tell us about yourself, Mr.   
  
Morisato?"  
  
"Hey, just call me Keiichi," he answered with an embarrassed chuckle.   
  
"I'm finishing up my undergrad studies here at Nekomi Tech in   
  
electrical engineering. Mostly, I deal with racing vehicles and such. And I race for   
  
the motor club."  
  
"Wow, you race?" enthused Aisha, interest clear on her face.  
  
"What do you race?" asked Wil.  
  
"Mostly bikes, but I've helped in the design and building of a number   
  
of other vehicles. But even the best design is worthless if there isn't   
  
a good driver and crew."  
  
"Sounds like fun," Wil said with an impressed grin. "Who knows? Things   
  
may work out so we can catch one of your races. It sounds more fun than   
  
what I'm studying."  
  
"And what are you studying, Mr. Thebault?" urged Belldandy.  
  
"Archaeology over in California," was his reply. "And call me Wil.   
  
Though right now, I'm mostly helping out more on the paper and textbook   
  
end rather than actual on site stuff. Pretty dry field of study if   
  
you're thinking along the lines of Indiana Jones or something."  
  
"Can't be much worse than some of the field work I've done," suggested   
  
Aisha. "May I ask where your interest lies?"  
  
He paused for a moment before answering. "Well, I'd have to say I'm   
  
helping with a Native American site near Washington, but MY interest   
  
lies in the Norse Culture. Especially their mythology."  
  
"Then you must know all about their stories. I only know the one about   
  
Balder and the mistletoe."  
  
"Yeah, I know that one as well. I know all about the gods, the Nine   
  
Worlds, the heroes, and Yggrsdail. It's fascinating how interwoven the   
  
myths can be.  
  
At the mention of Yggdrasil, Keiichi's attention perked. Here was   
  
someone who knew about the system as well? Why not? If they had been   
  
sent by Heaven to go on this quest, surely they must have had some   
  
association with the gods in the past, possibly through the help   
  
agencies as he had.  
  
"I hope you don't mind me asking," he began, as to get their attention,   
  
"but I was kinda curious; what did you guys wish for?"  
  
Their reply was a pair of silent, confused stares.  
  
Embarrassed, he asked with a nervous chuckle, "You did get a wish,   
  
didn't you?"  
  
"Wish?" asked Aisha.  
  
"I don't know anything about a wish," was Wil's reply.  
  
"I thought, since you were sent here by Yggrsdail," explained Keiichi,   
  
"that you already knew about the gods and goddesses, and how the system   
  
worked. I figured you probably met someone from the help agencies, like   
  
I did."  
  
Wil made a guess, "And when you were contacted at the time, you were   
  
offered a wish from a goddess?" A mute nod from both Keiichi and Bell.   
  
"May I ask what yours was, exactly?"  
  
It took some time, but Keiichi and Belldandy recounted the events of   
  
their first meeting, and summarized some of the more important details   
  
of life after that fateful night. Once they had finished, they waited   
  
to hear what their guests had to say after sitting silently through it.  
  
Aisha was the first to respond, "Man! That was a stupid, selfish wish!   
  
Only a guy would make such a wish without taking into account the   
  
other's feelings." She shot Keiichi a level, criticizing look, making   
  
the young man feel like he was some sort of cretin. She had a point, he   
  
thought, and the matter had come up in his mind over and over in the   
  
past. But, things just weren't that simple.  
  
After a pause, Aisha casually leaned back from the table, propping   
  
herself with her arms behind her. The expression on her face had   
  
changed from one of annoyance to a gentle, thoughtful one.  
  
"However," she resumed, "the exact wording was to have a goddess like   
  
Belldandy by your side always. There was nothing about her loving you.   
  
And that, THAT appears to be something that you both developed. So,   
  
maybe it wasn't such a bad wish."  
  
The tension inside Keiichi eased; for some reason, he had wanted to   
  
hear this, as if he wanted the approval.  
  
"You've been waiting the entire time just to comment on that, weren't   
  
you?" asked Wil, to which Aisha gave an amused smile. "I can see where   
  
your priorities lie. I'm still adjusting to the idea that there's some   
  
truth to all those stories. I mean, there are a lot of differences -   
  
not the least Yggdrasil is a supercomputer and not a tree - but that   
  
there really are gods and goddesses and demons, and they maintain all   
  
these dimensions. It's mind-boggling."  
  
"Don't be too surprised," came Urd's voice. Everyone looked up to the   
  
entryway of the room where she was standing. "You know what they say   
  
about there being some truths in myths."  
  
That said, she came to the table and sat down with a huff. Keiichi saw   
  
that she was extremely tired and clearly stressed.  
  
"Urd," he began, but was cut off by a wave of her hand.  
  
"Just a little tired; no matter how many times you do it, making   
  
potions can take a lot out of you. Sigh I'm going to be up for a good   
  
part of the night finishing this thing." She stretched her arms over   
  
her head, slightly amused at the interested look she got from Wil. "I   
  
take it you guys have some questions. Ask away."  
  
There were a few mumbles as the three mortals tried to collect their   
  
thoughts. Keiichi had no idea where to begin, as he had nothing to go   
  
by and no idea what the others knew. Perhaps, square one should be the   
  
best bet.  
  
"Urd, what can you tell us about this mission?"  
  
"Depends on what you need to know. How much did they tell you?"  
  
"Just that there'd been a hack into Yggrsdail and the we're being sent   
  
to Jotunheim," was Keiichi's answer.  
  
"That's it?" replied Urd in annoyance. "What about you two?"  
  
"Um, less than that," began Aisha. "It was, I don't know, three o'clock   
  
when I got the call, and that was just to say to be ready to go   
  
someplace in a couple hours."  
  
"Why didn't you ask for more information?" Urd asked.  
  
"It woke me up," Aisha quipped. She bristled a bit under Urd's   
  
unsympathetic look. "It was three AM! You try and think straight   
  
getting a middle of the night phone call."  
  
That floored Keiichi and Urd. He'd forgotten about the time difference   
  
between Japan and the States. No wonder the two seemed so out of it:   
  
that and being teleported would exhaust anyone!  
  
Urd shot a look at Wil. "Same thing with you?"  
  
"Got that I was needed to fix a computer and to get ready to leave." He   
  
scratched his head with an embarrassed laugh. "In hindsight, I should   
  
have questioned it, because I barely know how to use mine!"  
  
Urd muttered something angrily about search programs and needing to   
  
talk with someone in administration. Things were beginning to get off   
  
topic. Cautiously, Keiichi repeated his question.  
  
"Yeah, the mission," sighed Urd as she rubbed her forehead. "The plan   
  
is an in-out business. You'll be sent to Jotunheim, make your way to a   
  
designated position to drop off the blocking device, and come back to   
  
this dimension. Simple."  
  
"But, Miss Urd," began Wil, "what about the hacker? Isn't he going to   
  
face punishment?"  
  
"That's not in the plan. But trust me, if we could we would. The guy's   
  
pretty luck it's coming from Jotunheim, because that area's hands off   
  
thanks to some archaic pacts. Heck, no one's been allowed in or out of   
  
there in, I don't know, millennia."  
  
"So, neither the gods nor the demons have jurisdiction over it. Who   
  
does?"  
  
"I'm taking a guess: Frost giants?" suggested Keiichi.  
  
Urd replied, "Probably."  
  
Images of towering, crystalline figures loomed back into his mind.   
  
Fearsome warriors that scared even demons. It may have been Skuld being   
  
Skuld - which equaled being a pain in the side at times - but there may   
  
have been some truth to it. He felt ill at the thought of facing   
  
whatever they were if they were only hinted at by what Skuld had said.  
  
"We'll have to get past giants?" whispered Aisha.  
  
"Probably, I don't know," answered Urd.  
  
"How would we do that?" asked Wil.  
  
"I don't know." There was some annoyance in her tone.  
  
"Do you know anything about them?" asked Keiichi.  
  
"No, I don't know!" exploded Urd. "I don't know much of anything about   
  
frost giants or Jotunheim! There are so many holes and contradictions   
  
in our records, they're little better than fairy tales. So stop asking   
  
me!"  
  
The explosion over, Urd glanced around the table at the stunned faces   
  
of the others. There was a terrified look in Aisha's eyes that led to   
  
Urd's hands, which were crackling with electricity. Embarrassed into   
  
calmness, Urd attempted to relax before speaking.  
  
"Sorry about that. It's just - Well, it irks me to no end, how we should   
  
know more about that dimension, and we're sending you four, mortals, in   
  
there because of an article in an archaic treaty."  
  
Belldandy reached out and cupped one of her sister's hands in hers. "I   
  
understand, Urd. I know you, and I know that you'll do your best to   
  
make sure they're prepared."  
  
"You bet I will!" exclaimed Urd as she shot to her feet, a fist held   
  
determinedly before her. "Starting tomorrow, we'll begin training. And   
  
I'm going to make SURE you're ready, even if it takes my super special   
  
training!"  
  
There was a mutual feeling of stunned concern at the fire in Urd's   
  
eyes. But something she had said seemed out of place to Keiichi.  
  
"Um, Urd," he began.  
  
"Yes, K-boy," she replied, the annoyance back in her voice.  
  
"Don't you mean three?"  
  
"No, I meant four."  
  
"But, there're only three of us."  
  
"Huh? Three?"  
  
She looked down at the table and did a quick mental count. One, two,   
  
three, four, counting Bell. There was a conspicuously missing fifth   
  
person.  
  
"Uh, oh," she thought. She scooted between the two visitors with an   
  
obviously forced smile.  
  
"You two wouldn't happen to know anything about this fourth person,   
  
would you?" Both heads shook "no." She thought, "This could be bad."   
  
Aloud she said, "Well, maybe he's getting briefed or something." She   
  
followed that with the thought, "Or lost or . . ."  
  
Before Urd could get lost in a flood of worse case scenario, there was   
  
a knock at the front door. Belldandy got up to answer it.   
  
She slid open the door. "Hello? Can I help you?"  
  
"Is this the Morisato residence?" asked the stranger. Keiichi and the   
  
others gathered behind Bell to get a look at him. He was a young man,   
  
perhaps slightly older than Keiichi. The glasses he wore were a   
  
handsome wire frame, glowing in the late afternoon light the same shade   
  
as the brown highlights in his otherwise black hair.  
  
"Y-yes, yes it is. May I ask who you are?"  
  
"Yuji Tanaka," was his answer. "Where can I put this?" He held out a   
  
black duffle bag.  
  
"Umm. I-I suppose Keiichi could show you." Yuji placed the bag down as   
  
he pulled off his shoes, before he picked it back up and started   
  
towards the hall. Stunned, Bell could only stammer, "C-come in."  
  
"Hey, Tanaka," said Urd, as Keiichi began to move forward. "Are you   
  
here because Yggdrasil sent you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How come you weren't transported here as Aisha and Wil were?"  
  
The young man critically studied the two foreigners. "I took the   
  
train." He faced Keiichi. "Could you show me where to put this?"  
  
Keiichi was taken aback by his bluntness. "Uh, yeah. This way."  
  
He led his latest guest to the rooms as the others watched in a tense   
  
silence. 


	3. Jotunheim: Ch 3

(This is an "Oh, My Goddess!" fan-fiction. The "OMG" characters are the   
  
property of Kosuke Fujishima and other respective owners. Used without   
  
permission, but with great respect.)  
  
Jotunheim  
  
Part Three: When sleep won't come  
  
By Michelle Johnson  
  
The clock read 2:39 and Keiichi was still wide-awake. He tossed and   
  
turned for a minute, as he had done a number of times through the   
  
night, but he could not get comfortable. He knew it wasn't a physical   
  
discomfort but a mental one. Try as he might, his thoughts kept   
  
swirling in his mind, pushing sleep away.  
  
"I know exactly what my problem is," he thought. "It's nerves. I'm   
  
worried about tomorrow. We'll begin training. This is an important   
  
task, a responsibility placed on me.  
  
"But, you're really just a delivery boy," he countered. That kind of   
  
depressed him. "Yeah, it's not really that important."  
  
He sighed and rolled onto his back. He stared up through the darkness   
  
to the ceiling, the only sounds were his breathing and the ticking of his alarm   
  
clock. For a while, his mind was silent.  
  
Then he said aloud, "But why are they going through so much trouble   
  
for us?"  
  
His mind wrestled briefly with the question, trying to look at it from   
  
all angles. He finally gave up on both it and getting to sleep for the   
  
moment. He got out of bed and headed to the hall with two things sure   
  
in his mind; he was going to get something to help him get some rest   
  
and there was more to this mission than meets the eye.  
  
He was surprised to see light coming from the living room door. As he   
  
neared the partly open door, he could hear the voices of two people. He   
  
slid the door open to find Wil and Aisha seated in conversation at the   
  
table.   
  
"What are you guys doing up?" he asked as he entered and made his way to the   
  
table.  
  
"Uh, hi, Keiichi," muttered Aisha as her host seated himself to her right.   
  
"Nothing much really."  
  
"Nerves?" he asked.  
  
Both guests shook their heads before answering, "Jet-lag." The chorusing   
  
response started all three laughing.  
  
"How could I forget?" was Keiichi's rhetorical response. "It must be early   
  
afternoon back in the States."  
  
"We're guessing 11 in the morning," Wil filled in. "But jet-lag's only a part of   
  
it. My mind is still so busy digesting all this. It's still - all so. . ." His   
  
hands went up in silent emphasis of his wonder and frustration.  
  
Keiichi agreed. "Yeah, there are times I can relate."  
  
A thoughtful hum came from Aisha, chin resting in one hand. "Judging from the   
  
current absence in our party, I'd say the only one not having problems is   
  
Tanaka. He's kinda cute, but what is up with that guy?"  
  
The response was a pair of groans.  
  
"He may not have problems now," began Wil in a growl, "but if he keeps up like   
  
he has, I'LL be a new one."  
  
Aisha shifted uneasily. "I just wish we knew more about this guy. It's like he's   
  
hiding something, and I don't know if it'll be important to the mission or not.   
  
He was so cold at dinner."  
  
"Yeah, dinner," reminisced Keiichi. It had been amazing that a full-blown   
  
disaster had been avoided. It was as if the moment Tanaka had entered the   
  
residence, an air of tension came with him. The meal, as per usual when it came to   
  
Belldandy's cooking, was lovely, but he doubted anyone actually tasted it.   
  
Keiichi remembered that Tanaka had mechanically eaten the food, and resisted any   
  
attempts at conversation, despite Bell's best attempts - a feat in itself. Not   
  
even Urd's flirtatious teases broke through that shell. When the meal had ended,   
  
Tanaka's departure to the guest room was like an eye in a hurricane - things   
  
became miraculously calm but the storm still threatened.  
  
With a tired sigh, Keiichi spoke up, "Well, I talked with Bell a little to get   
  
her thoughts. She sensed no ill will, but there was a definite hostility. It   
  
wasn't focused on anything; it's just there, like a shield or something."  
  
"That can't be good," Aisha murmured.  
  
"What can't be good?" came a new voice, making all at the table jump. All eyes   
  
landed on Tanaka, who was standing in the doorway with a drink in his hand. His   
  
gaze down at them was unreadable except for an air of suspicion.  
  
"Tanaka! What are you doing up?" Keiichi hoped he had managed to keep the   
  
surprise out of his voice. How much had he overheard?  
  
Tanaka shrugged the question away. "What were you talking about?"  
  
"Nothing much," Aisha covered. "We were just sharing our thoughts about what's   
  
been going on. Kind of overwhelming, don't you think?"  
  
"No, not really." He clearly did not believe Aisha's half-truth completely. "So,   
  
what have you come up with so far?"  
  
The trio's mumbling and false starts did nothing to help their defense.   
  
Eventually, it was Wil who cleared his throat to get their attention.  
  
"We'd pretty much decided that at this point we just don't have enough info to   
  
make any kind of guess of what is expected of us. Anyway, we won't learn   
  
anything more until tomorrow. And since we all weren't able to get to sleep, the   
  
prescription I can think of is just to talk for a while; a late-night chill   
  
session."  
  
"Sounds okay to me," agreed Aisha. "I think out of all us, we'd probably get the   
  
best picture of what's going to happen from you and Keiichi. I mean, I know only   
  
a little about Norse mythology, and squat about the real thing." She paused,   
  
humming. Her eyes then lit up and she leaned over the table towards Wil with a   
  
grin on her face. "I know! Wil, since you know so many myths and stories, how   
  
about you share them?"  
  
Taken aback and embarrassed by Aisha's enthusiasm, Wil stammered, "I-I don't   
  
know. I s-s-sup-pose we could do that. But what would be the point? The stories   
  
are not like the real thing."  
  
"I think I know what she's getting at," replied Keiichi. "We'll be corrected   
  
tomorrow once we start training, so what's some entertainment tonight? Besides,   
  
I believe you may have said something to the effect that the stories had   
  
parallels to the truth."  
  
"I might have. . ." Wil mumbled, looking abashedly away.  
  
"C'mon, Wil," Aisha urged. "It's not like we're going anywhere anytime soon.   
  
Let's make a night of it!"  
  
Overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Wil blushed. "It-it doesn't seem like such a bad   
  
idea. Sure, why no-"  
  
Laughter interrupted him. He, Keiichi, and Aisha turned their attention back to   
  
the doorway where Tanaka was chuckling. Keiichi was surprised at this, as he was   
  
sure the others were too: an infuriated snort from Aisha confirmed it. Keiichi   
  
fought to keep his voice neutral as he spoke.  
  
"May I ask what is so amusing?"  
  
Tanaka waved a signal to wait until he composed himself. He leaned against the   
  
doorframe and straightened his glasses. "I'm sorry, but that has to be the most   
  
ridiculous plan I've ever heard."  
  
Aisha leaped to the defense of her plan, "I don't see what's silly about it.   
  
Besides, it's only for tonight, for fun."  
  
"And what will you do tomorrow? Follow the orders given? You trust them that   
  
much?"  
  
It was Keiichi who answered. "Yeah. We will, and we do." There were sound of   
  
agreement from Wil and Aisha. Tanaka adjusted his glasses again as he thought.   
  
He then raised his eyes to take in the table.  
  
"Hmph. You're really as naïve as I thought you were."  
  
"What?!" exploded Keiichi and Wil simultaneously. Keiichi began to rise to his   
  
feet, but Aisha placed a hand on his forearm to halt him.  
  
"Don't," she whispered, shooting an angry glare back over her shoulder at   
  
Tanaka. "It's not worth it. He's also a member of the team, so we shouldn't -"   
  
She cut off her statement as Wil shot to his feet around the table. He ran along   
  
the side opposite Keiichi, so neither was able to reach him before he reached   
  
the doorway. Tanaka was grabbed by his T-shirt and shook strongly against the   
  
frame.  
  
"Just what are you getting at Tanaka?" growled Wil.  
  
Apparently unfazed by the assault, he coolly replied, "Nothing really. I'm just   
  
stating my opinion that you haven't exactly shown much initiative. At least until   
  
now."  
  
"Initiative? You want initiative? I'll have you know that I've-"  
  
"Wil! Stop it!" yelled Aisha. He looked back at where she half knelt, concern on   
  
her face, then at the right hand he had chambered to punch. He was clearly   
  
trying to reign his anger back in, but Tanaka still had a taunting smile on his   
  
face.  
  
"I'd listen to her, kiddo," came a new voice. Both Wil and Tanaka looked into   
  
the hallway to see Urd standing nearby. She looked pretty tired and frazzled in   
  
her lab coat, hiding a yawn behind her hand but never taking her eyes off the   
  
two young men. "Don't make me bolt-strike you." She casually pointed a finger   
  
like a gun at them, a brief crackle running along its length as emphasis.  
  
Clearly not needing another warning, Wil gave Tanaka a shove against the door   
  
before returning back to his seat. Tanaka shook out his shirt and ran his   
  
fingers through his hair.  
  
"I was getting tired anyway. Besides, I'm sure his droning would have put me to   
  
sleep in minutes."  
  
That prompted Wil to begin to rise to his feet again, but Aisha calmly but   
  
quickly halted him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I don't think your stories are boring," she murmured.  
  
With a slight bow to Urd and a provoking smirk back at Wil, Tanaka headed back   
  
to his room. Urd, in turn, entered and took a seat with a sigh.  
  
"That boy has issues."  
  
Keiichi replied, "We'd pretty much came to the same conclusion earlier. What are   
  
you doing up, Urd?"   
  
Urd groaned. "It's that potion I'm making for you guys. It's taking forever, but   
  
there's only one more distillation and it'll be done."  
  
"A potion?" Aisha began incredulously. "What do we need with a potion?" Urd   
  
simply shrugged, which didn't comfort Keiichi in the slightest. What could they   
  
possibly need with one of Urd's potions? And who knew what was in it, much less   
  
do to them! There were just too many unknowns, and now this! This was becoming   
  
too much.  
  
"Um, Urd," began Wil, nervously. "Something's been bothering me, and I should   
  
have asked it before; why us?"  
  
Keiichi stared at his guest. Was Wil having the same doubts as he was? In a   
  
guilty sort of way, it made him feel better. At least he wasn't alone in his   
  
feelings."  
  
Urd answered, "Because gods and demons are forbidden, so a neu-"  
  
"No, no, not that why," cut in Wil, shaking his head. "I mean, why US, as in   
  
the four of us?" His arm circled to include encompass those he meant, seated and   
  
not.  
  
Urd rested her chin in her hand, giving him a level gaze. She eventually   
  
straightened and stretched her arms. "I suppose I can tell you this much. In   
  
Heaven, there are certain agencies charged with certain functions. One of them   
  
is aiding humans, and in order to make sure we help the deserving ones, we keep   
  
files. You were picked because Yggrsdail did a random search and your names   
  
happened to come up."  
  
That was it? That was all there was to their being chosen? Not some special   
  
selection process, but something that sounded like the results of a simple roll   
  
of a dice, something last minute.  
  
"They really are treating this like a delivery job," thought Keiichi, stunned.   
  
"Maybe even less than that." A mutual gloom hung over the table. Was that really   
  
all there was to it? Was there nothing special about them that qualified them   
  
for this? "Apparently not," he thought, feeling utterly useless.  
  
Recognizing the gloomy mood, Urd attempted a cheerful tone. "Hey, buck up. Just   
  
because you guys were the result of some random search, doesn't mean you don't   
  
have some qualifications for it." She was met by a group of sighs and groans.   
  
"Geez, tough crowd. I think I'd best get going, huh? Can't leave that potion   
  
alone for too long, or who knows what will happen."   
  
She left the table, but paused at the doorway to motion Keiichi to follow. Still   
  
disappointed, but knowing better than to disobey a tired Urd, he excused himself   
  
on the pretense of getting something to drink. Once both were in the hall, Urd   
  
softly closed the door before facing Keiichi.  
  
"Okay, K-boy. I know you're feeling pretty bad right now. You're probably   
  
thinking," and she switched over to a falsetto pity-filled voice, hands clenched   
  
to her chest, "'No one's thought this through. I have no idea what's going on.   
  
Why poor little mortal me? What could I possibly offer?'"  
  
"Ouch," he thought. "That's close. Embarrassingly put, but close."  
  
"Well, don't," she continued. "I know everything's kinda crazy and seems rushed.   
  
But trust me, a great deal of planning has gone into this, and we're doing the   
  
best we can to insure that this goes smoothly. You'll just have to stay strong   
  
through this. Got it?"  
  
"Y-yeah."  
  
"I sense a silent 'but.'"  
  
Keiichi turned his head away and scratched his neck. "BUT, as you said, what can   
  
I offer?"  
  
Urd's expression softened. Hands placed on his shoulders, she answered, "I   
  
honestly don't know. Don't say anything, let me finish. I don't know what   
  
parameters Yggrsdail used to run the search, but I do know you were chosen, and   
  
that alone says a lot. What you need to remember is that things are going be   
  
uncertain, despite our best preventions; so you need to be strong. There's more   
  
to you than meets the eye, Keiichi. Something I'm sure my sister draws on   
  
everyday."  
  
Overwhelmed and humbled, Keiichi said nothing but a small smile broke through.  
  
"Good," said Urd, cheerfully giving a pat on his shoulders. "Now then. You need   
  
to play host to two of your guests. I think Aisha's idea might be the best way   
  
to relieve the mood. It'll give Wil a chance to show off his expertise. So why   
  
don't you go get some refreshments, eh?"  
  
"Y-yeah, that might work. Good night, Urd." She shrugged and gave an off-hand   
  
wave as she made her way back to her room. She was probably right, Keiichi   
  
thought. There was still so much running through his head, too many emotions he   
  
knew he couldn't sort through. He went to the kitchen and flipped on the light.   
  
He was about to head over to the fridge when he caught sight of a thermos and   
  
cups on the counter. Beside them was a note that read:  
  
"For anyone who is having trouble sleeping tonight. Take care, Belldandy."  
  
A smile crept to Keiichi's lips as he put down the note. That was Belldandy for   
  
you, always knowing exactly what was needed. Keiichi placed the items on a tray   
  
and returned to the living room.  
  
"So, Wil. Let's start with the basics." 


End file.
